


The Ride of the Eotheod

by HASA_Archivist



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: 3rd Age - The Stewards, Canon - Enhances original, Plot - Good pacing, Poetry, Subjects - Culture(s), Writing - Engaging style, Writing - Every word counts, Writing - Evocative, Writing - Mythic/Poetic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-06 08:57:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4215626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HASA_Archivist/pseuds/HASA_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A song about the Ride of Eorl and the Eotheod, from a Rider's point of view.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ride of the Eotheod

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

Note:   
It is written from the point of view of a Rider of Rohan, in the Rohirric style: i.e, Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse. It is meant to have a very definite rhythm of four beats per line, and works better spoken or chanted aloud than read silently. The two-line ending is Anglo-Saxon; it roughly translates to: "That people shall praise their oath-friend, I shall do a heroic deed."

*******

What was the word the wind did speak?  
Naming the nameless, naming the land  
Long before legends, long before tales  
Hands on the harpstrings in halls not yet built  
Songs in the silence, soft o'er the plains.

On mere-dappled meadows, mountains surrounding  
Wind-dancers walk here, wild manes flowing  
Foaled on the green fields, free-hearted, bold  
Swifter than swallows, swifter than streams  
Ribbons of rainfall that ripple and shine.

Hearken the horncall now heard o’er the fields  
Deep through the dales dance echoes of gold  
Clarion calling, “Come now to me.”  
Who shall come hither? Who now shall answer?  
Bravehearted bold ones, borne on the breeze

Who shall have the heart to bear it?  
Who shall hold the hearth-brand bright  
Blazing bold beneath the stormclouds?  
Who shall hear and who shall be oath-sworn:  
Burn the beacon-fire, bring the light?

What is the true word the wind did call them?  
Name we the nameless now in our tales?  
Whose is the horse, and who is the rider?  
Sing, be not silent, sing of them now  
All are, Eorlingas, ours is the tale!

Hard over herd-lands heavy lies darkness  
Glory escaping, gathering gloom.  
Sons of the Southlands scarred and war-torn  
Black and bloodthirsty, the Balchoth our foe  
Hearken the hoofbeats, hearken the horn.

Red stains the river risen in wrath,  
Wild blows the war-wind; white horse on green:  
Bold flies the banner. Brave friends and true  
Have courage to answer Cirion's call--  
Eoreds under Eorl's lead, the Eotheod rides.

A sword-day, a spear-day, unsheathed now our blades,  
Fear takes the foe-men; they fly from the field  
Defeated and driven, as day ends the night.  
Grass on the green fields is grimed with their blood,  
Storm passes swiftly, clouds scatter away.

Old pledges honor, oath-bound to fight,  
To bear arms as brothers, battles to share:  
Fealty's friendship, firm through the years.  
Tales this have told us: truth did we swear.  
We hearken your hardships, now hearken our horns.

Thaet ielde ath-wine wordum herge,  
Ic gefremmen sceal eorlic ellen.


End file.
